The CHN/ China thread

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by em2nought

Not good at all. They have all the fuel they need for whatever war or wars they might want to engage in. On the plus side, all they really need to do is wait us out until we've totally destroyed ourselves from within.

I think when looking at the current situation that would be politically but the US is not alone, the UK even if on a much smaller scale is in a similar position.

[Jimbuna]

South China Sea: Beijing hits back at Philippine envoy over economic coercion claims

China has accused a top Philippine envoy of “reckless speculation”, hitting back at the official’s claim that Beijing was using economic coercion against Manila in their dispute over the South China Sea.
In a Chinese-language statement on Sunday, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines also accused Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippine ambassador to the United States, of “disregarding basic facts, recklessly speculating on the South China Sea issue, and engaging in empty speculation and malicious smearing of China”.

The Philippines should stop “drawing wolves into the house and forming a ‘clique’”, which it said “would never help resolve the South China Sea disputes”.

“On the contrary, it will only complicate the situation in the region, jeopardise regional peace and stability, and undermine its own security,” the embassy said.

“We strongly advise the people concerned to stop spreading the ‘China threat theory’, to refrain from spreading ‘persecution paranoia’ … and to do more for the benefit of their own people and the friendship between China and the Philippines.”

The statement was in response to Romualdez’s assessment that his country’s agricultural exports to China could be “in peril” as maritime tensions with China grew.

“These are things that are being used by them for economic coercion. That’s always [on] the table. That’s why we’re working double time in trying to look for other markets just in case,” he said, according to The Manila Times.

Addressing the Consular Corps of the Philippines in Manila on Wednesday, Romualdez also warned that the South China Sea – rather than Taiwan – would be “the real flashpoint” given the risk of an accident in the contested waters.

He also said in an earlier interview with Reuters that his country was in talks to include Australia and Japan – also US allies – in planned joint South China Sea patrols with the US.

Ties between Beijing and Manila have declined in recent months despite pledges early last year by the presidents of both countries to strengthen relations.
In a departure from his Beijing-friendly predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, who took office in June 2022, has moved closer to the United States – a traditional ally – to counter China’s maritime assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Beijing and Manila have competing claims in the waters and there have been frequent stand-offs – sometimes involving collisions – between the two sides.
Chinese coastguard vessels have repeatedly driven off Philippine ships from the area, including in the Scarborough Shoal and the Second Thomas Shoal.
Earlier this month, the Chinese military said its naval and air forces carried out routine patrols in the disputed waters, days after Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr ordered an increase in troops and construction on Batanes, the island country’s northernmost province, which is less than 200km (124 miles) from Taiwan.

Amid the tensions, China remains the Philippines’ top trading partner and the third-largest market for Philippine agricultural products such as bananas, pineapples, coconuts, and avocados.

China is also a major source of foreign investment in the Philippines, with stakes in logistics, agriculture and telecommunications.

The Macros administration is floating the idea of amending the country’s constitution to attract more investment, including from the US.

During the event in Manila, Romualdez said the US was “going out of its way” to expand economic relations with the Philippines.

As part of efforts to boost economic engagement and boost investment particularly in infrastructure, manufacturing and energy sectors, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is expected to visit Manila next month.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...oercion-claims

[Jimbuna]

China playing long game for vital resources and military advantage in Antarctica, say analysts

Perched on the bleak southern coast of Inexpressible Island, China’s new crucifix-shaped scientific research station in Antarctica has triggered alarm bells about Beijing’s ambitions in the world’s southernmost continent.

The Qinling base, occupying 5,244 square metres near the deep bay of the Ross Sea, opened in February, and can operate through the brutal winter months while housing up to 80 people in summer.

Qinling is expected to include a wharf for icebreaker ships and is well positioned to collect signals intelligence over Australia and New Zealand and telemetry data on rockets launched from Australia’s new Arnhem Space Centre, according to the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
It will also help China “fill in a major gap” in its ability to access Antarctica.

The station is China’s fifth, on a par with other major actors in Antarctica, including the UK, Russia, and the United States, which has the largest research presence, including the biggest facility in its McMurdo base.

But the speed of China’s expanding footprint has raised fears that Beijing is aiming to extend its surveillance capabilities, gain strategic control over valuable resources and shipping routes, or even establish a future military presence there when the continent’s governance treaty expires in 2048.

Beijing, “like all parties has ambitions for Antarctica beyond science,” Dr Elizabeth Buchanan, an expert associate of the ANU National Security College, told The Telegraph.

“The problem, for the West, broadly, becomes that China is more capable and credible in terms of concerns it might one day look to exploit its footprint for economic, and strategic, advantage. Any base could be refashioned for military purposes,” she added.

Seven countries – the UK, Australia, France, New Zealand, Norway, Argentina and Chile – maintain territorial claims in Antarctica, which are not recognised by most other nations. The US and Russia have a “basis of claim”.

In practice, the continent is governed by parties to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which restricts activities to “peaceful purposes only”. Military personnel can conduct scientific research but are banned from setting up bases, carrying out manoeuvres, or testing weapons.

That treaty is due to be revised in 2048, when new sovereignty claims may trigger a scramble for influence over minerals, including gold, chromium, uranium and coal, resources and territory.

Countries may fight in the future to “provide security towards those mineral resources which are going to be very valuable in 10, 20 more years,” said Dr Carlos Solar, a senior research fellow in Latin American security at the Royal United Services Institute.

By creating a fifth base, Beijing is declaring its strong focus in Antarctica even as other countries are receding from other parts of the world to focus on resources, he said.

“China’s interests are to be in the best position that they can be for 2048,” Dr Solar added.

Beijing’s Antarctic interests are purposefully framed “in a long-term decadal strategic manner,” said Dr Buchanan.

For example, the position of the new base in the continent’s Pacific vector could give China the ability to draw a line from the eastern entry point of the Arctic Ocean straight down to Qinling, she explained.

“This creates an interesting capability and future potential buffer for curtailing US seapower,” she added.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ts/ar-BB1jBI2x

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Maldives signs China military pact in further shift away from India

Maldives on Tuesday said China will provide it with “military assistance,” in the latest sign that the Indian Ocean archipelago’s pro-China shift is well under way following the election of President Mohamed Muizzu last year.

The Maldivian Defense Ministry said it signed an agreement with Beijing Monday “on China’s provision of military assistance” and that the deal would foster “stronger bilateral ties,” according to a post on social media site X.

Details of what the assistance would entail were not released but the ministry said the deal was “gratis” — or given for free.

The move is part of a push by President Muizzu since taking office in November to develop closer relations with China, following his “India Out” election campaign that promised to remove Indian troops from Maldivian soil and reassert “lost” national sovereignty.

In January, Muizzu set a deadline of March 15 for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the archipelago nation, according to the president’s office. An update from his office last month said negotiations had agreed troops would leave in stages, with the first withdrawing before March 10 and the rest before May 10.

According to Reuters, there are 77 Indian soldiers and 12 medical personnel from the Indian armed forces in Maldives. India has also given Maldives two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, which are mainly used for marine surveillance, search and rescue operations and medical evacuations, Reuters reported.

The new deal with China marks a significant shift in Maldives’ foreign policy from Muizzu’s pro-India predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The tiny South Asian nation is regarded internationally as a tourist destination popular for its white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons.

But the archipelago of nearly 1,200 low-lying coral islands, with a population of fewer than half a million people, spreads over a swathe of strategically important waters and shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean.

Given their geographic proximity and strong historic and economic ties, India was for decades Maldives’ closest partner and New Delhi viewed the region as part of its traditional sphere of influence.

But Maldives has long found itself in the middle of a geopolitical tussle with both India and China vying for influence.

China has increasingly expanded its footprint in Maldives, most visibly through large-scale infrastructure projects such as the $200 million China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.

Analysts have previously told CNN that a Chinese presence in Maldives could affect Indian security, given the island chain’s proximity to India’s western coast.

In January, Muizzu traveled to Beijing for a state visit and the two countries signed 20 agreements that included cooperation on infrastructure, trade, economy, green development, grants, and other development projects.

That includes about $127 million in aid to develop roads in the capital Male and build 30,000 social housing units, according to a news release from the president’s office.

During the trip, Muizzu hailed China as “one of the closest allies and developmental partners of Maldives.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters Tuesday that Beijing is “committed to working with the Maldives to build a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.”

“Normal cooperation between China and the Maldives does not target any third party and will not be disrupted by any third party,” she said.

In his presidential address on February 5, Muizzu said Maldives must fortify its military capabilities and its defense force was about to achieve round-the-clock surveillance capabilities over the nation’s 900,000 square kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone.

The government will also not renew an agreement that enables foreign countries to measure and map the oceans and coasts of Maldives, he said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/05/a...hnk/index.html

[Jimbuna]

Hong Kong jails 12 people over the storming of the legislature in 2019

A Hong Kong court on Saturday sentenced 12 people to between 54 and 82 months in prison over the storming of the city’s legislature council building during a pro-democracy protest in 2019, the city’s public broadcaster RTHK said.

RTHK said the defendants were convicted of rioting on July 1, 2019, when a large group of protesters smashed through glass doors and stormed Hong Kong’s legislative council building after weeks of mass demonstrations.

Deputy District Court judge Li Chi-ho said the storming of the building represented a challenge to the Hong Kong government and had long-lasting effects on the city, according to RTHK.

Among the defendants, actor Gregory Wong was sentenced to six years and two months in prison, while activists Ventus Lau and Owen Chow were jailed for four and a half years and 61 months, respectively, RTHK reported.

Two reporters who were previously acquitted of rioting were fined 1,500 Hong Kong dollars ($192) and 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($128) for entering the legislature, according to RTHK.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/16/a...hnk/index.html

[em2nought]

So, if you do it in China it's "pro-democracy"?

[Jimbuna]

China is spending billions on a national computing network. Its data chief says why

China needs a fully integrated national computing network if it is to forge ahead in the global race for high technology and retool its economy for innovation, according to the head of the country’s new data regulator.
In an article in Communist Party journal Qiushi on the weekend, National Data Administration (NDA) chief Liu Liehong said computing power had become “the main arena of scientific and technological competition” among major countries rushing to take the lead in the industries of the future.
“Computing power has become the core productive force for a country,” Liu said.

“Frontier technologies and future industries represented by new materials, biopharmaceuticals, gene technology, and deep sea, air and space exploration, have created an unprecedented demand for computing power infrastructure.

“A unified computing system would optimise resources, lower costs and help the country to achieve breakthroughs in cutting-edge tech such as quantum information.”

Beijing has put computing power front and centre in its efforts to narrow the gap with the United States in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence.
To that end, it set up the NDA in October last year as both a promoter of the digital economy and a regulator of the booming data management sector.

The authorities have also signalled that it will be more tolerant of failure in science and technology to overcome its risk-averse culture and give younger researchers more room to explore ways to realise the national goals.

China is second only to the US in aggregated computing power, and aims to scale up its capacity by half by 2025.

The incentive to do so is clear. In a report released in August last year, Tsinghua University, International Data Corporation and Chinese big data provider Inspur said that for every percentage point gain a country made in the trio’s computing power index, the country’s digital economy grew by 0.36 per cent and its gross domestic product by 0.17 per cent.

The index is compiled to track the development of overall computing power, computing efficiency, applications and infrastructure in 15 sample countries.

China’s plan is to build eight national computing power hubs and 10 national data centre clusters, a mega project called “Eastern Data and Western Computing”, which is expected to drive around 400 billion yuan in investment each year.
It is designed to unite computing centres throughout the country to create a pool of general-purpose, intelligent and supercomputing power, and will be up and running by next year.

The project was launched in 2022 and is in part intended to address regional imbalances in digital resources – between the more prosperous areas of eastern China and the energy-rich west.

Liu said the project would also narrow the economic gaps between regions and attract more professionals to inland areas.

Local governments have started pouring money into the field.

Work began in Shenzhen in January to build a computing centre estimated to cost 466 million yuan in its first phase.

When completed, the centre will be able to process 1.6 billion images and 1.9 million hours of voice translation in one hour, making it the most advanced – and most expensive – operation of its kind in the Pearl River Delta region.

To improve the network’s efficiency, Liu warned that local governments should “avoid haphazard construction”.

Computing clusters throughout the country should be integrated to accelerate economies of scale, improve efficiency and cut costs.

And while concentrating computing power would make better use of resources, it would also raise security challenges, he said.

“There is urgency to strengthen the coordination of security systems of national hubs. We also have to prevent risks from regional network failures, power outages and extreme situations,” he said.

In addition, industry and academia should work together to advance electronics, communications and computer science, he said.
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion...pgtype=article

[Jimbuna]

China protests Taiwan minister's role at Seoul summit backed by U.S.

SEOUL, March 18 (Reuters) - China rebuked South Korea on Monday for Taiwan's participation in a U.S.-backed democracy summit in Seoul, where the island's Digital Minister Audrey Tang delivered an unannounced video message.
Tang told the third Summit for Democracy that Taiwan suffered disproportionately from concerted cyberattacks and the democratically governed island was willing and able to work with all stakeholders to ensure AI develops safely and sustainably.

Taiwan is a key global supplier of the semiconductor chips critical for such technology applications.
The conference being hosted by South Korea is an initiative of U.S. President Joe Biden aimed at finding ways to stop democratic backsliding and the erosion of rights and freedoms.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own, although the island rejects its sovereignty claims, said it was firmly opposed to South Korea having invited Taiwan to participate.

"There is only one China in the world," foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference in Beijing on Monday.
"Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory."
He urged Seoul to abide by the one-China principle and stop providing a platform for Taiwan independence forces to boost their prestige.
South Korea's foreign ministry did not immediately respond when asked about Lin's comments.

Conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has charted a course closer to the United States. But China is South Korea's largest trading partner, and Yoon has also tried to placate Beijing to avoid widespread economic blowback.
Tang's participation in the event was not announced in advance by authorities in either Taiwan or South Korea.
A session programme distributed on Monday listed only a possible video message in fine print at the end, while Tang's ministry did not flag the appearance in her daily schedule of public events given to reporters.

Taiwan's foreign ministry said Tang's comments were made in a pre-recorded video message. The South Korean announcer who introduced Tang's video said she was appearing in a private capacity as an expert on the issues.
A democratic, rather than technocratic approach, is ideal to tackle the challenges of artificial intelligence, such as by mobilising citizens to identify and counter misinformation, Tang told the gathering.
Tang's invitation to Biden's first democracy summit in 2021 also drew protest from China, while U.S. officials cut short the video feed of her remarks after a map in her slide presentation swathed Taiwan in a colour different from that of China.
https://www.reuters.com/world/china-...us-2024-03-18/

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

China protests Taiwan minister's role at Seoul summit backed by U.S.

"There is only one China in the world," foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference in Beijing on Monday.
"Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory."

If President Trump "wins" he really needs to wear a WW2 AVG jacket complete with bloodchit everywhere he goes.

[Jimbuna]

Hong Kong lawmakers rush through 'draconian' bill that imposes life sentences for 'traitors' and 'public enemies' after top mainland China officials pressured the city-state to fast-track the changes to protect 'core national interests'

Lawmakers in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, or LegCo, today passed the domestic national security bill at a special meeting held today, just 11 days after it was published by the government.

The legislation will take effect from Saturday, and was passed unanimously, with 88 out of the 90 representatives who normally sit in the LegCo on behalf of the citizens of Hong Kong, addressing the chamber and expressing support for the worrying piece of legislation.
Two representatives from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) party, which is supporting the bill, said it would make it more difficult for 'traitors' and 'public enemies' to work with the West to disrupt Hong Kong.

It comes just weeks after China's vice-premier Ding Xuexiang visited Hong Kong and pressured lawmakers into pushing for the bill, claiming it would protect 'core national interests.'
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...61713659&ei=20

[Jimbuna]

China coast guard says Philippine personnel ignored warnings and 'illegally' landed on reef

BEIJING, March 21 (Reuters) - China's coast guard said a number of Philippine personnel ignored its warnings and illegally landed on a reef that is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on March 21.
"China firmly opposes the Philippine act, which violates China's territorial sovereignty, and undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea," said a spokesperson for the coast guard in a statement on Thursday.
"We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop the infringements."
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...ed-2024-03-21/

[Jimbuna]

China's Z-21, aiming to rival the AH-64 Apache, takes to the skies

Recently, a photo of the latest Chinese attack helicopter, which rivals the American AH-64 Apache, has been making rounds online. The Z-21, as it is now known, was spotted flying for the first time.

This marks the first public sighting of the Z-21 combat helicopter (previously referred to as Z-XX) and serves as proof of China's continued efforts to enhance its capabilities.

Andreas Rupprecht, an expert on Chinese air forces, has verified the authenticity of the photo. He believes the image is genuine and depicts the helicopter formerly called Z-XX.

The Defense Express portal has pointed out that the design of the Z-21 appears to be influenced by the American AH-64 Apache. The Z-21 remains largely shrouded in mystery, and aside from its inaugural test flight in January 2024, it hasn’t been equipped with weapons yet. Therefore, what kind and how many weapons it will ultimately carry is unclear. Currently, the aircraft is fitted with various measuring equipment.
Despite the Z-21 being designed to match the Apache (in features like the placement of cockpit fairings and the cannon underneath), the helicopter is an advancement of the older Z-20, which was modelled after the American Black Hawk. It’s confirmed that the prototype includes technology to minimise its infrared visibility, notably through upward-directed exhaust systems.

China envisions the Z-21 as a robust platform capable of carrying a wide array of weapons – owing to its size, which is comparable to the Apache and the Russian Mi-28.

The exact mechanics of the Z-21 in full production remain uncertain. According to The War Zone, citing unofficial sources, it is likely to use engines based on those of the smaller Z-20s. These sources also suggest that this new model, destined to rival the Apache, is expected to be operational within the next three years.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/tech...cae31992&ei=19

[mapuc]

Markus

[Jimbuna]

The UK Government is considering issuing sanctions against China, after it was revealed actors in the country were responsible for hacking attempts on several MPs and the Electoral Commission.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is set to give a statement to the Commons on Monday accusing China of being responsible for a “malign attack” on UK institutions and setting out what measures could be issued in response.

It’s expected that the Government will announce it will look into sanctions against selected Chinese officials linked to human rights abuses in both Hong Kong and China’s Xinjiang province.

The UK has attributed a major hack of the UK’s electoral data, during which the personal data of tens of millions of voters were accessed, to China for the first time since the attack was revealed.
The Electoral Commission announced in August last year that it had identified a major breach of its system in October 2022, and that the hostile actors responsible had first accessed the systems in August 2021.

During the breach, attackers were able to access reference copies of the electoral registers which included the name and address of anyone in the UK who was registered to vote between 2014 and 2022, as well as the names of those registered as overseas voters and the commission’s internal email system.